It was reported yesterday that Ms. Lauryn Hill has been charged with three counts of misdemeanor failure to file taxes. These charges were incurred for the years of 2005-2007, during a time in which Ms. Hill had removed herself and her family from society, in order to keep them safe, healthy, and free from danger. In response to these charges, Ms. Hill has issued the following statement:

ďFor the past several years, I have remained what others would consider underground. I did this in order to build a community of people, like-minded in their desire for freedom and the right to pursue their goals and lives without being manipulated and controlled by a media protected military industrial complex with a completely different agenda. Having put the lives and needs of other people before my own for multiple years, and having made hundreds of millions of dollars for certain institutions, under complex and sometimes severe circumstances, I began to require growth and more equitable treatment, but was met with resistance. I entered into my craft full of optimism (which I still possess), but immediately saw the suppressive force with which the system attempts to maintain itís control over a given paradigm. Iíve seen people promote addiction, use sabotage, black listing, media bullying and any other coercion technique they could, to prevent artists from knowing their true value, or exercising their full power. These devices of control, no matter how well intentioned (or not), can have a devastating outcome on the lives of people, especially creative types who must grow and exist within a certain environment and according to a certain pace, in order to live and create optimally.

I kept my life relatively simple, even after huge successes, but it became increasingly obvious that certain indulgences and privileges were expected to come at the expense of my free soul, free mind, and therefore my health and integrity. So I left a more mainstream and public life, in order to wean both myself, and my family, away from a lifestyle that required distortion and compromise as a means for maintaining it.

During this critical healing time, there were very few people accessible to me who had not already been seduced or affected by this machine, and therefore who could be trusted to not try and influence or coerce me back into a dynamic of compromise. Individual growth was expected to take place unnaturally, or stagnated outright, subject to marketing and politics. Addressing critical issues like pop culture cannibalism or its manipulation of the young at the expense of everything, was frowned upon and discouraged by limiting funding, or denying it outright. When one has a prolific creative output like I did/do, and is then forced to stop, the effects can be dangerous both emotionally and psychologically, both for the artist and those in need of that resource. It was critically important that I find a suitable pathway within which to exist, without being distorted or economically strong-armed.

During this period of crisis, much was said about me, both slanted and inaccurate, by those who had become dependent on my creative force, yet unwilling to fully acknowledge the importance of my contribution, nor compensate me equitably for it. This was done in an effort to smear my public image, in order to directly affect my ability to earn independently of this system. It took a long time to locate and nurture a community of people strong enough to resist the incredibly unhealthy tide, and more importantly see through it. If I had not been able to make contact with, and establish this community, my life, safety and freedom, would have been directly affected as well as the lives, safety and freedom of my family. Failure to create a non toxic, non exploitative environment was not an option.

As my potential to work, and therefore earn freely, was being threatened, I did whatever needed to be done in order to insulate my family from the climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism that I was surrounded by. This was absolutely critical while trying to find and establish a new and very necessary community of healthy people, and also heal and detoxify myself and my family while raising my young children.

There were no exotic trips, no fleet of cars, just an all out war for safety, integrity, wholeness and health, without mistreatment denial, and/or exploitation. In order to liberate myself from those who found it ok to oppose my wholeness, free speech and integral growth by inflicting different forms of punitive action against it, I used my resources to sustain our safety and survival until I was able to restore my ability to earn outside of it!

When artists experience danger and crisis under the effects of this kind of insidious manipulation, everyone easily accepts that there was something either dysfunctional or defective with the artist, rather than look at, and fully examine, the system and its means and policies of exploiting/ídoing businessí. Not only is this unrealistic, it is very dark in its motivation, conveniently targeting the object of their hero worship by removing any evidence that they Ďneededí or celebrated this very same resource just years, months or moments before.

Since those who believe they need a hero/celebrity outnumber the actual heroes/celebrities, people feel safe and comfortably justified in numbers, committing egregious crimes in the name of the greater social ego. Ironically diminishing their own true hero-celebrity nature in the process.
It was this schism and the hypocrisy, violence and social cannibalism it enabled, that I wanted and needed to be freed from, not from art or music, but the suppression/repression and reduction of that art and music to a bottom line alone, without regard for anything else. Over-commercialization and its resulting restrictions and limitations can be very damaging and distorting to the inherent nature of the individual. I Love making art, I Love making music, these are as natural and necessary for me almost as breathing or talking. To be denied the right to pursue it according to my ability, as well as be properly acknowledged and compensated for it, in an attempt to control, is manipulation directed at my most basic rights! These forms of expression, along with others, effectively comprise my free speech! Defending, preserving, and protecting these rights are critically important, especially in a paradigm where veiled racism, sexism, ageism, nepotism, and deliberate economic control are still blatant realities!!!

Learning from the past, insulating friends and family from the influence of external manipulation and corruption, is far more important to me than being misunderstood for a season! I did not deliberately abandon my fans, nor did I deliberately abandon any responsibilities, but I did however put my safety, health and freedom and the freedom, safety and health of my family first over all other material concerns! I also embraced my right to resist a system intentionally opposing my right to whole and integral survival.

I conveyed all of this when questioned as to why I did not file taxes during this time period. Obviously, the danger I faced was not accepted as reasonable grounds for deferring my tax payments, as authorities, who despite being told all of this, still chose to pursue action against me, as opposed to finding an alternative solution.

My intention has always been to get this situation rectified. When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes. This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family.
As this, and other areas of issue are resolved and set straight, I am able to get back to doing what I should be doing, the way it should be done. This is part of that process. To those supporters who were told that I abandoned them, that is untrue. I abandoned greed, corruption, and compromise, never you, and never the artistic gifts and abilities that sustained me.Ē

Sun Jun 17, 2012 2:28 pm

Plum Puddin'

Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 1849
Location: Earf.

I have a pretty poor attention span but did she ever mention what she needed safety from?

She keeps going on about having to withdraw from society for the protection of her family. Were her kids becoming rich brats, or did she just have a little "illuminati moment"?

It's ok Lauryn, we've all been there. I still keep a big metal poking stick next to my door for when those illuminus bastards come.

Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:42 pm

Sage FrancisSelf Fighteous

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21737

I think the safety she was seeking was mainly...safety from industry pressures and society pressures. Safety from the forces that are working against her being a real person rather than just a cog in the machine. Not quite sure how that excuses one from not paying taxes, but if she's able to explain it in a way that allows me to be a real person who doesn't have to pay taxes then I'm ALL IN.

Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:56 pm

name

Joined: 12 Nov 2002
Posts: 955

please expand on why you think this is a good read (or why hill is 'interesting'). I can understand that you must sympathize to some degree with the 'internal struggles' that artists deal with on the path to success. but apart from that, much of this diatribe seems pretty melodramatic and irrelevant to the tax situation.

Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:58 pm

Sage FrancisSelf Fighteous

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21737

I suppose it's interesting to me because Lauryn has been dismissed as "crazy" for many years now. Although there is noticeable amount of paranoia in this statement, I'm not sure it's unfounded and I'm not willing to simply blow her off as a crazy person. I can identify with what she's saying on some levels, but I can't fully imagine what she's had to go through. Not only is she stunning, but she's a lyricist with an amazing voice and great emcee skills. She seems to be in a constant war to maintain her integrity as a person and as an artist while operating in an industry that's filled with people who aim to control and pigeonhole her.

So, what I find interesting, is seeing her put this struggle into words while representing herself as a human who knows her own worth and talent. That said, she's playing up the victim role which is definitely silly. There's a total lack of accountability for her tax issues, and if there *is* a valid excuse for why she couldn't pay her taxes then she should explain her position in a logical and reasonable manner. Well...that's what I would do if I wanted to shake the "crazy" image. But maybe she doesn't want to do that.

Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:35 pm

Prontoid

Joined: 07 Aug 2002
Posts: 1611
Location: Melbourne, Australia

I donít see how any of what she talks about there is related to her not paying taxes.

Is she getting stood over by loan sharks or something? Thatís the way it reads.

I donít follow her maybe sheís released a bunch of stuff Iím not aware of or maybe sheís still locked in some bogus 90ís contract but Miseducation was 15 years ago nearly. Iím confused as to why if she wants to release music in some capacity she canít.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:06 am

Prontoid

Joined: 07 Aug 2002
Posts: 1611
Location: Melbourne, Australia

I just checked her wiki page - apparently she has been making music - must be more to this than meets the eye I take back the last thing I said

Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:12 am

Captiv8

Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Posts: 8546
Location: Third Coast

What's weird is that paying taxes is something practically everyone is required to do, regardless of their vocation. The only way I can see getting around that is purchasing land in fee simple absolute and create a totally self-sustaining community. Even though you would probably still have to pay property taxes. Hill hasn't really reconciled her escape from the industry with federal tax evasion.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:20 am

Mark in Minnesota

Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Posts: 2066
Location: Saint Louis Park, MN

It sounds to me like she stopped returning calls from her record label, business managers, and their associates for a period of several years, and didn't file any taxes in those years because doing so would have required her to deal with those people again.

About the only thing I really have to say is that this press release of hers reminds me a lot of the announcement Prince made when he went back to using that name again, at least in terms of the carefully parsed, euphemistic language. The sense I get from both situations is someone in over their heads in a contractual relationship, making decisions that range from bad to outright incomprehensible when viewed from the outside, but make sense in the context of the intolerable contract. These choices serve to undermine the force of a contract that cannot be immediately dissolved.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:45 am

jakethesnakeguy who cried about wrestling being real

Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 6311
Location: airstrip one

That explanation makes a lot of sense. She's effectively saying "I don't deal with my former employers so I am not paying taxes on the royalties"? Maybe? Or that's a convenient excuse now?

She's definitely paranoid but surely has good reason for it.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:14 am

anomalyLoserface

Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 2648
Location: DFW, TX

I used to listen to Lauryn Hill and tap my feet.....

Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:47 am

AdamBomb

Joined: 05 Mar 2004
Posts: 3183
Location: Louisiana

I've given Lauryn Hill the benefit of the doubt for probably longer than most. I actually dug her Unplugged album as well. However...a lot of other actions have confirmed for me that she is indeed batshit. The flakiness on showing up to her concerts, the bizarre performances/arrangements, the clown phase. If you watch some of her performances as of the past year or so, they are sped up (reportedly from her direction of the band) and she gets off time and out of breath often. When she talks about trying to save herself from selling out, in contrast it seems like she lost the soulful genuine part of herself that was appealing to begin with.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:17 pm

Dream Inspired

Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 2121
Location: genoa

i became disabled this year. fucked my back up pretty good and can't work or even walk some days... hopefully i'll get better and blah blah blah, but i'm currently on disability and SSI and getting benefits that i WORKED for for 20 years and i'm paying taxes on my measly $1000 a month income.
Lauryn Hill needs to pay her taxes like everyone else and stop thinking that she is the pinnacle of truth and better than the rest of the humans in the world.
screw her.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:39 pm

anomalyLoserface

Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 2648
Location: DFW, TX

She uses the word "safe" 9 times in that thing.

Do people throw spears and swing nunchucks at Lauryn Hill when she steps out to get the paper? What's w/ all the safety babble

Tue Jun 19, 2012 12:27 pm

Plum Puddin'

Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 1849
Location: Earf.

What Would Wyclef Do?

Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:11 pm

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